This invention relates to the use of wet or premoistened products alone or in conjunction with other products or systems to dispense such products.
Wet products such as wet wipes have many applications. They may be used with small children and infants when changing diapers, they may be used for household cleaning tasks, they may be used for cleaning hands, they may be used as a bath tissue, they may be used by a caregiver to clean a disabled or incontinent adult, or they may be used in and for a whole host of other applications, where it is advantageous to have a wipe or towel that has some moisture in it.
Wet wipes have been traditionally dispensed in sheet from a tub like container with a hinged lid on the top. The lid is opened and individual or singularized sheets of the wipes are removed. Another type of container that has been used for wet wipes provides a roll of wipes in which the wipes are pulled from the top of the container in a direction that is parallel to the axis of the roll. These wipes are pulled from the center of a hollow coreless roll that has perforated sheets. These containers generally have a snap top lid that is opened to expose a piece of the wipes that can then be pulled to remove the desired amount of wipes. Once pulled out the wipes can then be torn off, usually at a perforation, and the lid closed.
Wet wipes can be any wipe, towel tissue or sheet like product including natural fibers, synthetic fibers, synthetic material and combinations thereof, that is wet or moist or becomes wet during use or prior to use. Examples of wet wipes are disclosed in application Ser. Nos. 09/564,449, 09/564,213: 09/565,125; 09/564,837; 09/564,939; 09/564,531; 09/564,268; 09/564,424: 09/564,780; 09/564,212; 09/565,623 all filed May 4, 2000, and application Ser. No. 09/223,999 entitled Ion-Sensitive Hard Water Dispersible Polymers And Applications Therefore, filed Dec. 31, 1998 the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
In an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a dispensing system for dispensing wet wipes, the system comprising a wet wipes dispenser, a mounting assembly and a backing plate. The dispensing system may further comprise tightening means, such as a screw, or a threaded rod, which can exert pressure on the mounting assembly and the backing plate such that the dispenser is fixed to a surface.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a back mounting plate for mounting a dispenser to a wall. The backing plate comprises a body member having a top side, a bottom side, a front side, and a back side, and the top side includes means for engaging a wet wipes dispenser. The backing plate may be fixed to a surface by an applied pressure or by fastening means.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a dispensing system for dispensing wet wipes comprising a wet wipes dispenser and a backing plate and further arms which may support another product, such as a roll of conventional dry bath tissue.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a dispensing system for wet wipes wherein the dispenser exerts a dispensing force on the wet wipes as the wipes are dispensed through the gap in the dispenser. The wipes have a tensile strength which is at least twice that of the dispensing force, preferably at least five times that of the dispensing force, more preferably at least seven times that of the dispensing force. The wipes have a tensile strength along their length of at least 300 g/inch, preferably between about 300 g/inch and 600 g/inch. The wipes have a tensile strength along their width of at least 250 g/inch, preferably between about 250 g/inch and 500 g/inch. The wipes have a peel force between about 18 and 50 g/inch, preferably between about 20 and 40 g/inch. The dispensing force is between about 20 and 150 g/inch, preferably between about 30 and 60 g/inch, more preferably less than about 47 g/inch. The wipes are preferably configured in a roll. Preferably, the wipes are configured in a coreless roll and comprise perforations. The perforations may be characterized by a bond length of 0.01 inches, a cut length of 0.03 inches, and a bond spacing of 0.04 inches. The perforations may be characterized by a bond length of 0.02 inches, a cut length of 0.05 inches, and a bond spacing of 0.07 inches. The perforations may be characterized by a bond length of 0.04 inches, a cut length of 0.09 inches, and a bond spacing of 0.13 inches. The detach strength of the wipes, due to the perforations, is at least five times that of the dispensing force, preferably at least seven times that of the dispensing force.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for dispensing wet wipes comprising: mounting a wet wipes dispenser in the toilet tissue dispenser by means of a mounting assembly, the wet wipes dispenser having wet wipes and a backing plate; securing the wipes dispenser to the toilet tissue dispenser and at least one surface by means of a screw in the mounting assembly; and removing wet wipes from the wipes dispenser.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for dispensing wet wipes comprising: securing a wet wipes dispenser to a toilet tissue dispenser by applying pressure to the posts of the toilet tissue dispenser and at least one surface by adjusting a screw in a mounting assembly, the dispenser comprising a backing plate; inserting a container of wet wipes; and removing wet wipes from the wipes dispenser.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for dispensing wet wipes comprising: attaching a wet wipes dispenser to a surface such that the wipes dispenser does not move substantially during use, the wet wipes dispenser comprising a backing plate, wet wipes, an opening, and a moisture barrier means; pulling the wet wipes through the moisture barrier means; and removing wet wipes from the dispenser.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for dispensing wet wipes comprising: attaching a wet wipes dispenser to a surface such that the wipes dispenser does not move substantially during use, the wet wipes dispenser comprising a backing plate, an opening, and a moisture barrier means; inserting a container of wet wipes into the dispenser; pulling the wet wipes through the moisture barrier means; and removing wet wipes from the dispenser.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for dispensing wet wipes comprising: mounting a wet wipes dispenser in a toilet tissue dispenser by means of a mounting assembly such that the mounting assembly and dispenser together exert pressure on the posts of the toilet tissue dispenser and on at least one surface, the dispenser comprising a backing plate.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for dispensing wet wipes comprising: removing a spindle from a toilet tissue dispenser; mounting a wet wipes dispenser in the toilet tissue dispenser by means of a mounting assembly, the dispenser having a movable tray and a backing plate, the mounting assembly having a screw; moving the tray such that the screw is uncovered; and adjusting the screw in the mounting assembly such that the wipes dispenser is secured to the toilet tissue dispenser and at least one surface.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for dispensing wet wipes comprising: mounting a wet wipes dispenser in the toilet tissue dispenser by means of a mounting assembly; the wet wipes dispenser having wet wipes, a tray, and a backing plate; the mounting assembly having a screw; moving the tray such that the screw is uncovered; securing the wipes dispenser to the toilet tissue dispenser and at least one surface by means of the screw; repositioning the tray in the dispenser; and removing wet wipes from the wipes dispenser.
These embodiments may further comprise engaging the wet wipes dispenser with the posts of the toilet tissue dispenser by means of a mounting assembly; and/or applying pressure to the posts of the toilet tissue dispenser and the at least one surface by adjusting a screw in a mounting assembly. The wipes dispenser may be rigidly, removably, and adjustably secured to the toilet tissue dispenser and at least one surface; the securing may be such that the wipes dispenser does not substantially move over a period of 10 minutes when subjected to a force of at least 500 g, to a force of at least 800 g, and/or to a force of at least 1100 g.